51-story High-rise Envisioned

July 2, 1986|By Jeffrey Moore, Staff Writer

FORT LAUDERDALE -- A grandiose plan to build a 51-story tower of luxury condominiums and commercial space -- the tallest building between Miami and Atlanta -- led the city Tuesday to begin adjusting its density restrictions in the downtown area.

The skyscraper, conceived by Hallandale developer Harry Gampel for the northwest corner of East Broward Boulevard and Federal Highway, would dominate Fort Lauderdale`s skyline, with a projected height of 543 feet.

It would dwarf the 28-story C & S Bank Building (formerly the Landmark Bank Building) on Broward Boulevard, now the tallest building in Broward or Palm Beach counties, or the 110 Tower on Southeast Sixth Street, which will surpass it when topped out at 30 stories.

In Miami, developer Russell Wirth Jr. has unveiled designs for One Dupont Plaza, designed as the tallest building in the Southeast. A twin-tower complex, the taller of the two buildings -- 61 stories high -- would rise 884 feet above Biscayne Bay.

The Gampel plans are still in the conceptual stages. Gampel`s firm brought them to the city six months ago. The city could not accommodate the dimensions of the project in its land-use plan, Ritchie said, leading to a sequence of events that culminated Tuesday with the City Commission`s agreement to lift the existing density cap of 100 units per acre for residential development in the central business district.

Gampel`s project would be 180 units an acre, but conforms to the city`s long-range goal to bring more housing into the downtown area, Ritchie said.

The proposed amendment to the city`s land-use plan still must be approved by Broward County and state officials before it would become law and clear the way for Gampel to move ahead with his plans, probably sometime in October.

``We would like to put something (in the downtown) that the city can point to as a major accomplishment,`` said Lloyd Edelstein, executive vice president of real-estate development for the Gampel Organization.

Edelstein said Gampel`s preliminary designs, on file in the city`s planning department, are still subject to modification.

At this stage, Gampel envisions a building with 724,633 square feet of floor space, excluding parking, on a site of about two acres. An atrium lobby on the ground floor would lead to retail stores, seven stories of offices and nine levels of parking. Above it, a soaring tower would house 314 condominium units, 72 hotel rooms and a private health club. Penthouse suites, a restaurant and lounge would top out the structure.

Gampel owns the property, now vacant except for a small branch office of Hollywood Federal Savings and Loan Association.

The city has no height restrictions on buildings in the downtown. Construction of the 30-story 110 Tower soon will make it the county`s tallest structure. As a mixed-use development of retail stores, hotel rooms, offices and a health club, 110 Tower reflects the growing trend toward mixed-use developments.

Other Gampel projects in South Florida include the Hallmark Apartments in Hollywood on State Road A1A and two office buildings in Boca Raton. Gampel`s One Boca Place, a 283,000-square-foot office building on Glades Road, is scheduled for completion in the fall, Edelstein said.

Several years ago, Gampel cleared plans with Hollywood officials for a 400,000-square-foot development to be called Presidential Circle. Gampel`s property, 10 acres in the middle of Military Circle along Hollywood Boulevard, is still vacant, but Hollywood officials said Tuesday they remain confident in Gampel`s ability to build.

``I`ve been told he has the money and is ready to proceed once he gets the approval,`` city planner Janet Larson, who is working with Gampel`s representatives, said of his East Broward Boulevard property.

Fort Lauderdale already has begun inquiries to determine whether the proposed tower would have to undergo review by the South Florida Regional Planning Council, which would determine traffic or other improvements that might be required of Gampel.

``We took a lot of time in considering the changes that will enable the construction of this building and others that will follow it in the downtown area,`` Ritchie said.

Edelstein said it is premature to gauge any impact.

Should the tower materialize, it would form a close-knit trio of skyscrapers at East Broward Boulevard near Federal Highway along with C & S Bank and the 22-story One Financial Centre.

Just to the east, across Federal Highway, are the Holiday/Victoria Park and Colee Hammock neighborhoods. Mayor Dressler said Tuesday that high-density development in the area will never be permitted to spill into those communities.

``We will have to limit the expansion of the borders of the downtown,`` Dressler said.